Woodruff struck by strong storm

WOODRUFF - A home was destroyed by fire, and heavy winds caused a tree to crash into another house as a severe thunderstorm thrashed Woodruff about 4 p.m. Thursday.

Woodruff Police Chief Darrell Dawkins said no injuries had been reported as a result of the storm, which lasted about 45 minutes. While residents were surveying the damage, the skies continued to rumble.

Woodruff Fire Chief Steve Quinn said his office had received 10 calls by 6 p.m. Quinn said the most severe damage was at a Breezy Hill Lane residence that caught fire.

"I'm 99 percent sure it was a lightning strike," said Quinn, who plans to check with the National Weather Service today.

Despite a response from at least four trucks, the home sustained extensive damage. Quinn said he had called the Red Cross to provide assistance to the family.

Marcia McMahand was in Spartanburg when she received a call warning that her house at 514 W. Georgia St. had been struck by a giant tree.

"I didn't know what to think," McMahand said. "It felt like it took too long to get here. My mom called, and she was all in a tizzy."

The tree knocked a hole in the roof at the left front of her house. McMahand said parts of her dining room and kitchen were damaged, but it could have been worse if the tree had hit more of her home or fallen to the right and struck the home's power line.

McMahand said she thanked God that she and her children were not at home when the tree fell.

Electrical crews also were busy working on North Pearson Street, where a tree fell across power lines and splintered a wooden light pole at the intersection of Pearson and East Georgia streets.

The top portion of the pole dangled at nearly a 90-degree angle, and segments of the power lines were resting on charred grass.

Duke Energy said nearly 3,000 customers were without power in Spartanburg County about 6:30 p.m. The majority of outages were in Woodruff, where electrical workers were still driving bucket trucks into town at 7:30 p.m.